August 2, 2011 at 11:38 a.m.
Family pays it forward
Love, Hugs and Prayers disc golf tournament set for Aug. 6-7
Family pays it forward
By Jonathan Bailey-
The fifth annual Love, Hugs and Prayers disc golf tournament in memory of Jadelynn Pearl will be held August 6th and the 7th at the Sugar Camp Disc Golf Course. All proceeds from the event benefit Angel on My Shoulder, a cancer support group based out of St. Germain.
"Jade loved to play disc golf with us," Eric Schoeneck said. "She'd walk the course and throw and have a good time until we got to hole No. 7 and then she saw the playground at the Sugar Camp Town Hall. She would quit playing disc golf and she would go over to the playground and play with grandma or Tricia."
Born on Oct. 17, 2003, Jadelynn was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer shortly after her third birthday. Despite being a little warrior through the seven months of chemotherapy, which included one month of radiation, she succumbed to the egg-shaped tumor on the base of her brain on May 14, 2007.
Two things were constant during her battle with cancer, the support of Angel on My Shoulder and the signoff of "Love, Hugs and Prayers," which was later adopted into the disc golf tournament's name.
Lolly Rose, the founder of Angel on My Shoulder, stayed in contact with the Schoeneck family during the entire process, offering words of encouragement and hope, as well as giving Jadelynn gifts to get her mind off her troubles.
Since her passing, the Schoenecks have been dedicated to returning the favor, helping out with a number of other fundraisers to go along with the disc golf tournament.
Eric said that Angel on My Shoulder is part of his family, from all the board members to the other families. He and Tricia are involved with Camp Angel, the Polar Plunge and a number of other events.
"The most gratifying (part) for us is that we know the money is staying local for families and kids in situations that we were in personally," Eric said of staying connected with Angel. "Ninety-six percent of what we donate and raise is used towards the families and the kids that are affected directly by cancer."
Love, Hugs and Prayers came to be known as the name of the disc golf event as a result of how Eric ended updates on Jadelynn's care pages when she was in the hospital. Every message letting people know how she was doing concluded "with love, hugs and prayers from Eric, Tricia and Jadelynn."
In the event's first four years it has raised over $32,000 for Angel on My Shoulder, surpassing by far the expectations of Eric and Tricia when they started it up. It also serves as another reminder of all of the good times with Jadelynn.
"The first year was just a memory thing, kind of more to get our families together and friends," Eric said. "We could never have imagined the continued success that we've had ... it has been unbelievable."
"I think it brings a lot of smiles," he added. "It's a happy tears (event). You think about the good moments and it has gotten to enough years from when she passed away that most of them are happy memories. That was her life. The cancer was a part of her short life and you just keep moving on. If you can pay it forward and help somebody else out those memories just become happier."
One round of disc golf for a two-person team is $25, which includes two raffle tickets. Two rounds is $40 and comes with four tickets. The two-person teams will play a scramble format (18 holes) for cash.
The tournament also has prizes for a scramble-format family division. One round is $30 per team, up to five people, and $45 for two rounds. A group of four can play for fun for a $15 donation.
There will be cash prizes for a hole-in-one on "memorial holes" No. 7 and 15. Pre-registration is recommended, walk-ons are welcome on a first come, first serve basis. Rental discs are available at a nominal fee. Instructional help is also offered for those wanting to give disc golf a try.
"The biggest thing that I want people to know is ... how much we thank the Northwoods community for their donations, raffle prizes and participation in this event because without them, we wouldn't have an event, and we wouldn't be able to raise the money that we have," Eric said.
For more information or to register, contact Eric or Tricia at (715) 272-1287 or email [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.